Job cost recorder



Feb. 23, 1943. T. J. WATSON JOB COST RECORDER FiledAug. 30, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Feb. 23, 1943. W T 2,312,137

JOB COST RECORDER Filed Aug. 50, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1943. J. WATSON 2,312,137

JOB COST RECORDER Filed Aug. 30, l94l 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATIFORNEY Feb. 23, 1943. T, J. WATSON JOB COST RECORDER Filefi Aug. 50, 1941 5 Sheezs-Sheet 4 HNVENTOR w. BY

ATTORNEY Feb. Z3, 1943- T w sc 2,312,137

Jo COST RECORDER Filed Aug. 30, B41 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 EE-E- ELAPSED TIME COST BURDEN STARTING TIME SERIAL ND n, -n 'mwzamweE [083 "men TIME CYCLE" Cam F Inger:

Punch Plates Punches Cam Zero Reset INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1943 i JOB cos'r naconnea Thomas J. Watson, New York, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 30, 1941, Serial No. 408,972

11 Claims. This invention relates to Job time recorders and, more particularly, to recorders of the type which compute and record the cost as well as the elapsed time for individual jobs.

The instant invention has for its general 011-;

iect the provision of an improved job cost recorder which is simple in its design and cheap in its manufacture.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a novel recorder unit for each individual employee which will compute the time spent by the employee on each job to which he is assigned and which will record the cost of the job along with the elapsed time and other pertinent information on an inserted record card. It is proposed to have part of such recordings in the form of printed characters and the remainder in the form of digit-representing perforations. Punching means is therefore provided and is controlled by a unique setup means working in conjunction with the computing means. The cards, when thus perforated, may be then placed in well known card-controlled tabulating machines to obtain various accounting reports.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of appying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the machine with the top cover cut away to reveal the location of the various mechanical parts.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Fig. i.

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a record card used in the machine.

Fig. '7 is a time chart indicating the timings of the various cams included in the mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2. 2

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the machine is mounted on a base i0 and that the various mechanisms are supported generally by vertical frame members Ii, l2 and i3 fastened to the base I0. It is contemplated to provide one complete machine such as disclosed herein for each individual employee to record the desired data in regard to various jobs'performed by him.

In the proposed machine, a card receiver Ii is slidably mounted on guide rods II and I! (Fig. 3) and is biased toward the outward position by a pair of springs l8 and It. At the beginning of a Job, the employee inserts a record card, such as the card R shown in Fig-6, and the insertion is accompanied by sufficient pressure to move the entire receiver i5 inwardly against the action of springs II and IS.

A the receiver moves in, a roller carried thereby cams against an arm 2|, moving the arm to the left as viewed in Fig. 1. Arm 2! has one end pivoted at 22 to the side frame II and its other end engaging a slide 23, and thus the slide is also moved to the left. Slide 23 is loosely mounted on pins carried by the side frame I2.

The right end of the slide has a pin 22a which engages the lower end of an arm 24 (Fig. 3) pivoted at 25 and provided with an upward extension 26 which cooperates with a type wheel ratchet 21 to move the ratchet one position. Associated with ratchet 21 and controlled thereby is a set of number wheels ill which form a consecutive numbering device used to keep a record of the serial number of-the Job.

Slide 23 also carries a pivoted pawl ll biased to the position shown by a spring 32. The upper end of pawl II engages the end of a bell crank lever 33 to rock the lever clockwise about shaft 84. Also mounted on shaft 24 is a platen arm 35 carrying the platen 26." It will be noted that arm 25 carries a pin 35a which rests on the upper edge of the bell crank. The operation is of the single print type in that pawl 3| by-passes the end of bell crank 33 to permit quick return of the bell crank 33 and, hence, the platen arm 24 by the action of return spring 31.

When the receiver i5 is fully inserted, a keeper 40 is urged into a slot 4| in the upper right side of the receiver by a spring 42 to lock the receiver in a position where it will remain during the time which the employee requires for the particular Job.

A synchronous drive motor 45 (Fig. 2) is provided as the power means for machine operations to be described presently. The motor is connected through gearing 46, ll with a shaft 48 which is in turn connected through gears IO, 50, 5i and 52 to shaft 53. The structure just recited comprises the continuously running drive mechanism of the machine. In the present embodiment, shaft 48 is driven at 10 R. P. M. and shaft 53 at 10 R. P. H or, in other words, a ratio of to 1. Both shafts rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. Shaft 52 carries a cam 54 which operates a cam follower arm 43 pivoted at 43a. and connected to a pawl 44. Pawl 44 is moved back and forth once each hr., stepping the type wheel ratchet 28 one position and also advancing the hr; wheel 29 to which the ratchet is connected. The type wheels 28 are provided with suitable carry over mechanism; well known in the art, so as to always indicate the time of day. Thus, it is seen that the insertion of the card causes immediate printing of the starting time and serial number of the job in predetermined locations as shown leftward movement of a connected arm 86 and upward movement of a latch arm 81. Arms 88 and 81 are fastened to a shaft 68 and are normally biased to the rightand down, respectively.

moved toward its inward position, arms 88 and 61 are rocked counterclockwise through a. small angle against the pull of springs 69, and remain in that position as long as the card receiver is in.

An arm is now released by removal of the hooked end of arm 61 from its end. The arm 10 is fixed to a tubular shaft rockablymounted on a shaft III which is rotatably supported in frame plates H and I2. The tubular shaft I8 also has fixed to it an arm 15 to which 40 a pawl 14 is pivotally attached. A spring 13 anchored on a stationary stud 13a pulls the whole latch operating unit comprising the pawl 14, arm 15, shaft 18, and arm 10 in clockwise .It will be noted that as the card receiver is direction, thereby holding a roller I2 on arm 10 against a cam H fixed on shaft 53. Once every tenth'of an hour, roller I2 drops to the low part of cam H and the latch operatingunit swings clockwise (Fig. 3), pulling the latch 80 out from the shoulder of pawl 58 which rocks 50 into engagement with the continuously rotating ratchet wheel 55. An arm 140 on pawl 14 strikes so that it releases the latch 60 after the latter has released the pawl 56. The plate 51 makesone complete revolution with. the ratchet wheel.

55 and is stopped by reengagement of .the latch 80 with pawl 58. A spring biased detent I8 drops into a recess in plate 51 and holds the latter in position of rest. The rocking movement of the latch releasing unit is limited by a forked arm 18a of tubular shaft 18, which embraces a stationary stop 11.

Mounted on the face of the plate 51 is an,

eccentric cam 88 which is engaged by a follower ring 8| loosely connected to an arm 82. The arm 82 is fixed on shaft 83 whichis rockably supported in frame plates 12 and I3. The effect of rotation of the eccentric 80 is to rock arm 82 up and down and thereby oscillate shaft 83. Between frame plates I2 and I3 shaft 83 has afllxed to it a plurality of arms 85 (Fig. 4) which are moved upwardly as shaft 83 rocks in a counterclockwise direction.v Arms 85 are connected a stop 14b and rocks the pawl counterclockwise,

.moved to its inward position. A roller as is" l. cammed to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, causing ating racks 86. As many'arms 85 and racks l are provided as there are elapsed time, burden, and cost computing wheels 90. The three time controlled wheels 90 for the elapsed time are designated in Fig. 1 by the suflix a,'the four cost wheels by the suffix b, and the four burden wheels by the sufix c. As the construction of the time controlled mechanism-for operating the wheels. is the same for all wheels, only one 10 of the mechanisms need betraced. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that rack 86 is provided with a cam slot 81 in which a pin 88 rides. The rack 85 is normally biased to the left by spring 88 and as rack 85 moves up it is cammed to the left into engagement with the related time controlled wheel 80. Pin 88 is attached to a settable arm 9! which is irisertibly placed at selected positions in a bracket 92. The position at which arm 9! is set determines the period of time dur- 20 ing which rack 86 engages wheel 90. In other words, the arm 9| is preset according to the rate, burden, or cost as the case may be. A spring-pressed detent 93 prevents backward movement of wheel 90. With this arrangement,

the wheels 90b and 900 which are to compute the cost and burden of the job are moved to a definite multiple of the distance which the elapsed time wheels 900. are moved at each hr. stepping period. Thus, the machinesmay be built standard and then adjusted merely by manual setting in accordance with the wage paid the employee and the share of the burden which the job must carry.

Attached to the rear face of each of the wheels 9k) is a series of pins 94 displaced around the periphery thereof. These pins cooperate with the carryover levers, one unit of which will be described as representative. As an operating pin 94 strikes bell crank lever I08 the lever is cammed clockwise releasing latch arm H for movement to the right by a spring I02. A pawl I03 carried by the latch arm ml engages a new tooth on the wheel 80 of the next higher denominational order. Arm I0! is pivoted at I84 and extends downwardly into the vicinity of a pawl "16 pivotally mounted on a plate I05 fixed to shaft 88. The pawl I06 is spring-biased against a stop 186a and is positioned so as to ooact with the bottom end of lever WI during the rocking of shaft 83, if the lever has been tripped. As the pawl I08 moves upward, it'bypasses the bottom end of the lever I0! without effect, but on the down stroke it rocks the lever counterclockwise, moving the wheel 80 of the next higher order forward one step. This completes a carry from say the units order to the tens order, for example. The various pawls I88 are offset in position, so that whenever there is a simultaneous carry through more than one order the operations will occur in steps; This is illustrated in Fig. 4.

The operations described above occur while the card is in the machine, or in other words,

and supports the hollow shaft it.

while the employee is doing a particular job. It is now time to consider the operations which take place when the job has been completed. As the employee completes the job upon which he has been working he operates a finish lever ill secured to the shaft HI which extends through Manual operation of lever H0 in a clockwise direction initiates a one revolution movement of another to the lower ends of'elap'sed time and cost operthe plate 51. This second clutch comprises a carries a plurality of finish time cycle cams which will now be described.

The first cam to come into effective operation, as illustrated by the upper line of the time chart (Fig. 7) is cam I20. This cam acting through an arm I2 Ia, lowers a bail I2I on which rests a plurality of cam fingers I22. Fingers I22 are pivoted at I23 and are connected to the ball I 2I by individual springs I24. The right end of each finger I22 is bent upwardly at right angles to cooperate with a star wheel 95 attached to the face of each of the wheels 90. The star wheels 95 have positioning steps on them which determine how far the right end of each of the fingers I22 may rise.

There are five identical segments to each of the star wheels 95 and these segments each have ten steps representing the ten digit positions. The left end of each of the cam fingers I22 cooperates with one of a plurality of punch plates I 25, each of which is also provided with ten steps. The punch plates I25 are slidably mounted on a pair of shafts I26 and I21 which extend between side frames I2 and I3.

The second cam to take effective operation is a cam I30. This is the cam which controls the positioning of the punch plates and its operation is represented on the second line of the time chart. A cam follower I3I is provided with a roller I32 which rides on the periphery of cam I under the bias of a spring I33. The spring is connected to a plate I34 which, in turn, is joined with the left end of the cam follower I3I. Plate I34 carries a bail I35 which extends across a plurality of arms I36 the upper ends of which are connected to the punch plates I25. Arms I36 are connected-to plate I34 by indlvidllal springs I31. Thus as punch plates I25 are moved to the right by the movement initiated through cam I30, certain of the plates will be stopped sooner than others in view of the different positions of cam lingers I22. The plates which are stopped merely cause the stretching of their individual springs I31.

The punch plates I25 are each provided with an elongated, centrally located slot I40 through which the card passes, (the card actually being within a stationary card guide I4I fastened to frame member I2), as the card receiver I5 is moved to its inwardposition. A vertical slot is provided in each plate and is arranged to carry a punch element I 45. Each punch element I is guided by a punch operating plate I46, the punch elements being slidably movable with respect to the plates I46. A pair of shoulders I45a and H51) are provided on each punch element to make its vertical or punching movement dependent upon the vertical movement of its connected plate I46.

-Cam I60 (Fig. 5) is the next cam to become effective. This is the cam which brings about the actual operation of the punches by supplying vertical movement to the plate I46 through linkage comprising follower arm I 5I pivoted by a stud arm HI, and links I63 and I64. Arms I66 and I66 act as supports for the plate I46.

The card is thus perforated in predetermined locations in accordance with the different stopped positions of the punch elements. A typical card is shown in Fig. 6 where elapsed time, cost, and burden data are punched in the card. Cards so perforated may then be used in tabulating machines directly and totals taken to obtain desired accounting records.

The last of the aforementioned cams to operate is the reset cam I60. The mechanism associated with cam I60 is best illustrated in Fig. 5, where it is seen that an arm I6I pivoted at III is provided with a roller I63 which rides on the contour of cam I60 in such a manner that arm I6I is rocked up and down during the rotation of the cam. Connected to the upper end of arm I6I is a link I64 which connects with an arm I" fastened to the shaft I66, the latter shaft being the shaft which supports the computing wheels 90 and the star wheels 65. It is obvious that the movement initiated by cam I66 will cause a rocking of shaft I66. In Fig. 4, it will be noted that shaft I66 has a ratchet I61 secured thereto. Each of the star wheels 65 has a detent pawl I66 which engages with ratchet I61 to position the star wheels uniformly. While the computing wheels 90 are being set by the time controlled mechanism, the pawis I66 are carried out of the notches in the ratchet I61 and move variable distances according to the distances which wheels 60 are moved. Thereafter shaft I66 is rotated counterclockwise which picks up the pawls I63 and carries the star wheels and the computing wheels 80 to a uniform position. At the other end of shaft I66 (Fig. 3) is an arm iil which is connected by a link I10 to lever 40. The last operation which occurs is the movement of arm I10 to the left as a pin I69a engages the left end of the slot in the arm I10. This movement obviously will raise the upper end of bell crank lever 40 out of the slot H in the card receiver I6 and permits the receiver to return to the normal position under the urging of springs I6 and I0 in order that the operator may remove his card. The card at this time will have a complete record of the job including both printed and punched data as illustrated in Fig. 6.

while there have been shown and described 5 and pointed out the fundamental novel features I6Ia on the frame plate I3, arm I52 rigid with of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a job cost recorder having a plurality of elapsed time measuring devices and tim controlled means for operating the-same, a plurality of settable cam elements for adjusting the amplitude of movement of said devices by the time controlled means in a predetermined manher to represent cost data, a plurality of punching elements, means carried by the time measurmg devices for controlling the selective positions of said punching elements, a card receiver adapted to receive a record card and operable to bring the card into punching relation with the punch elements, means controlled by the card receiver when operated to render the time controlled means eflective, a manually operable lever, and means controlled by said lever to cause the positioned punch elements to perforate the card.

2. In a job cost recorder having a plurality of elapsed time measuring devices and time controlled means for operating the same, a plurality of settable-camelements for adjusting the ampli tude of movement of said devices by the time controlled means in a predetermined manner to repr resent cost data, a plurality of punching elements, means carried by the time measuring devices for controlling the selective'posltions of said punching elements, a card receiver adapted to receive a record card and operable to bring the card into punching relation with the punch elements, means controlled by the card receiver when operated to render the time controlled means effective, a manually operable lever. means controlled by, said lever to cause the positioned punch elements to perforate the card, and means also controlled by said lever for releasingthe card receiver so as to remove the card from punching position and for resetting the elapsed time-measuring devices. 3. In a job costrecorder having a plurality of elapsed time measuring devices and time controlled means for operating the same, a plurality of settable cam elements for adjusting the amplitude of movement of certain of said devices by. the time controlled means in a predetermined manner to represent cost data, a plurality of punching elements, a plurality of stepped abutment members carried by the time measuring devices for controlling the selective positions of said punching elements, a card receiver adapted to receive a record card and movable to an opcrating position to bring the card into punching relation with the punch elements, means controlled by the card receiver when operated to render the time controlled means effective, a manually operable lever, means controlled by said lever to cause the positioned punch elements to perforate the card, and means also controlled by said lever for releasing the card receiver from the enerating position and resetting all of the time measuring devices.

4. In a card controlled recording mechanism for recording the cost of individual jobs periormed by a designated employee, a manually positionable card receiver for receiving a job card, saidreceiver havinga normal and an operated position, a pluralityof data accumulating elements, time controlled means rendered effective by the card receiver when moved to its operated position for initiating normal movement of said elements to represent elapsed time, means for maintaining said receiver in its operated position during the time required for a specified job, settable control means cooperating with the time controlled means to cause said accumulating elements to be moved to predetermmed different multiples of the normal movement of said elements, a plurality of positionable punching elements and means for operating the some customarily at the completion of the job to perforate the card in the receiver, means carried by the accumulating elements for selectively positioning said punching elements with respect to th card so as to control the location of the periorations made in said card, thereby causing said perforations to represent the data set up on the accumulating elements, and means efiective immediately following said punching operation to return the card receiver to the normal position so vas to render the perforated job card accessible to the employee for removal from the receiver.

5. A card controlled recorder for recording the cost of individual jobs performed by a designated employee, comprising a manually positionable card receive'rior receivinga job card, said receiver having anormal and an operated position, a plurality of normally idle data accumulating elements, time controlled means rendered eifectiveby the card receiver when moved to its operated position for initiating normal movement of said elements to represent elapsed time,

means for maintaining said receiver in its operated position normally until th finish of a speci fled job, settable. control means cooperating with the time controlled means to cause said accumulating elements to be moved to predetermined different multiples of the normal movement of said elements, a plurality of positionable punching elements and means for operating fthe'same customarily at the completion of the job to perforate the card in the receiver, a plurality of stepped abutment members carried by the accumulating elements and cam operated fingers cooperating therewith for selectively positioning said punching elements with respect to the card so as to control the location of the perforations made in said card, thereby causing said perforations to represent the data set upon the accumulating elements, and means efiective immediately following said punching operation to return the card receiver to its normal position so as to render the perforated job card accessibl to the employee for removal from the receiver,

6. A card controlled recorder for recording the cost of Jobs performed by a designated employee, comprising a manually positionable card receiver for receiving a job card, said receiver having a normal andan operated position, a plurality oi normally idle data accumulating elements, time controlled means rendered effective by the card receiver when moved to its operated position for initiating normal movement of said ele- .'ments to measure elapsed time, means for maintaining said receiver in its operated position normally for the time required by the job, presettable camming devices cooperating with the time controlled means to cause said accumulating elements to be moved to predetermined different multiples of the normal movement of saidelements, a plurality of positionablev punching elements and means for operating the same customarily at the completion of the job to perioe rate the card in the receiver, and a plurality of stepped abutment members carried by the accumulating elements and cam operated feelers cooperating therewith for selectively positioning said punching elements with respect to the card so as to control the location of the perforations made in said card, thereby causing said perforations to represent the data set up on the accumulating elements.

7. In a card controlled cost recorder, a manually positionable card receiver for receiving a record card, said receiver having a normal and an operated position, a plurality of normally idle data accumulating wheels, time controlled mean: including a plurality of racks, one for each wheel rendered effective by the card receiver" wher moved to its operated position for engaging saic wheels to cause said wheels normally to begir to measure elapsed time, means for maintainin; said receiver in its operated position, a pluralit: of presettable cam'members, one for each rack for increasing the engaging time of with certain ef the eccumulati prefietermined ratio 50 as to cause be moved predetermined muitipies u h distance required asuring the eia a plurality of posiueirbie punciiine V eiemente and means for cperati g the same t0 perforate the card in the receive; means carries? my the accumulating eleme-Ws for seiectiv y peeitiee ing said punching eiements with respeet ti e card so its central the iecatioz: of eiieietions made in said card, thereby eausing seici eeyfera-ti-eiis to represent the set up en the accumulating eiezzients, and means effective -JiJiQZi of the 4 shine; e eration retum tne card receiver ts mama and resetting the ecamnuiater wheeie 8. In a job eest re ing devices, car ing a i'ecerfi eai L1 aiity of punchei' eeing movable e me wetting on t acclimagmsitiens elements means fer inignviiciline' eiemezits te 1e caret, means contrelied by the med mearie easing the care are Area its eperatee pdektien and for resetie accumulating wheeis.

9 L1 3e: cest recorder, a plurality ef punch see receiver insertibiy receivzreeerai cam said receiver being mevebie to card into punching pcsition Witt; respect to said devices, means acting en seici eeeeivez' to hold the card in punching position, e gaiuzaiity cf data accumulating wheels, time contieiiefi means normally initiating epemtion e1? eaid wheels to represent elapsed time when the me /ed. inte punching pesitien, eettebie means cooperating with said time eontreiieci meam fer changing the rate cf movement oi certain ones 0f said wheels by predetermineci multiples with respect te the elapsed time te eee i'esent eest values, 9. stepped abutment member earfieti by each at the accumuietine Wheels in. eeeerdance with the pesitiens 02 said. wheel E01 eemiitiemng i'eieteii paeeh elements far 03% eretien, manually eeerated 01" initiating 1 WHY' r. as H1531 yieiy recem receiver from its epez'atecl posit-ism a time the accumulating wmeeis.

iii in a jab east reeei'eier, a 5 devices, a card receiver inseri record ce se as to bring me card into punch: with respect to devices, said receiver to hold the seed. in punch tiele, a plurality of data accvmuiet i mevabie reek assecieted with each saend engaeeable therewith, time ecetmiiec mermaiiy initiating mevement sad a cause operation of certain enes of the acm ing wheeis at a normal uniform t0 sent elapsed time when the card is Him 6C1 punching position, settabie means c0 with eeie time centz'oiied means vaigii rate 02 eperetien e1" others of seiti reel: wheelie in e ereeletemiined difierer the. enema! rate t0 repzieeent cesi; vaiues, earned by the ELQCU eelating means eezztireiied for v i 5395 1111011 and Wheels.

11.. In a job cost mg a reeem cam, se as to bring the with res said ree elm-a i piui'eiity mevebie rae'ie, time eentmlieai means neirmaii meet ef 'i'ecke uniform positioeeai came for "e F nis-i gagezeent the epective wheels heme tee a t0 represent east veiues, eumuieting W W-is in ce time e3 said: wheels 201 or epesatien, 12m in meet 

